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The FLORIDAN AQUIFER

What is

The Floridan Aquifer is the primary source of drinking water for millions of Florida's residents and visitors. It is also
the source of Florida’s springs.

Florida’s terrain is made of carbonate rocks like limestone. This type of terrain is called karst. Over time, rainwater has seeped through the rocks, creating networks of caves and channels deep underground. The water inside them, called groundwater, makes up the Floridan Aquifer.

Karst aquifers, like the Floridan Aquifer, are especially vulnerable to contamination. As water from the land surface moves through karst and into the aquifer – known as recharge – it brings along substances from the surface. These include nutrients from fertilizers used on farms and yards, waste from animal operations, and human waste from wastewater.

Types of karst features seen in Florida include springs, swallets, karst windows, and sinkholes. Many of these features create a direct path to the aquifer, making it even easier for contaminants to enter.

The Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 46-1663401) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All or a portion of your donation may be tax deductible.